The present invention generally relates to an electronic-part inspection device and more particularly to an electronic part inspection device used for inspecting electrical characteristics of a plurality of electronic parts such as chip capacitors, which are set in alignment.
Generally, when a chip capacitor is assembled on a circuit board, the leads of the chip capacitor are removed, and the main body of the chip capacitor is placed directly on the circuit board, and then the ends of the main body are soldered to the circuit board. In production of chip capacitors, a plurality of chip capacitors are aligned at a predetermined pitch on a band-shaped plate material (carrier) in the longitudinal direction of the plate material and are produced in a lot (chip capacitors arranged on a plate material in such a condition are hereinafter collectively referred to as a xe2x80x9ccarrier with capacitorsxe2x80x9d). In this carrier with capacitors, one terminal of each chip capacitor is electrically connected with one terminals of the other chip capacitors, and these one terminals of the chip capacitors are retained on the carrier while the other terminals of the chip capacitors are not retained on the carrier but are kept in the air being electrically disconnected from the carrier. To examine the electrical characteristics of each chip capacitor (for example, capacitance C), while the one terminal of the chip capacitor is electrically grounded, the inspection terminal of an inspection device is electrically connected to the other terminal of the chip capacitor, and the electrical characteristics are measured between the terminals of the chip capacitor. If the measured results of the electrical characteristics are within predetermined ranges, then the examined chip capacitor is determined as normal. On the other hand, if the results are not within the predetermined ranges, then the chip capacitor is determined as defective.
Because of the small size of the terminals of the chip capacitor and of the limited space available between the consecutive chip capacitors, respectively, it is very difficult for an inspector to electrically connect the inspection terminal of the inspection device to the corresponding terminal of each chip capacitor. Therefore, there is a possibility that the terminal of a chip capacitor which is not intended for inspection may be used mistakenly in measurement for inspection instead of the terminal of an intended chip capacitor. Thus, there is a need for an electronic-part inspection device that enables easy and accurate inspection on electronic parts.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an electronic-part inspection device that enables easy and accurate measurements of electrical characteristics of chip capacitors retained in a carrier.
An electronic-part inspection device according to the present invention comprises a plurality of vertically extending terminals made of an electrically conductive material, a terminal-retaining member made of an electrically insulative material, which retains these terminals in a laterally extending alignment, and a swinging member made of an electrically insulative material, which also extends laterally and is connected pivotally on the terminal-retaining member so that the swinging member can be swung back and forth with respect to the terminal-retaining member. Each of the terminals comprises a terminal base portion, a swinging arm portion, a contact portion, and an engaging portion. The terminal base portion is the lower part of the terminal and is retained in the terminal-retaining member, and the swinging arm portion extends upward from the terminal base portion and is capable of undergoing elastic deformation to swing back and forth. The contact portion is located at the upper end of the swinging arm portion, and the engaging portion is also located at the upper end of the swinging arm portion. The terminal-retaining member comprises a terminal-retaining portion (for example, the base-receiving portions 58 described in the following embodiment) and a counter portion (for example, the counter surface 63a described in the following embodiment). The terminal-retaining portion retains the terminal base portions of the terminals, and the counter portion is connected to the terminal-retaining portion and located in front of the contact portions of the terminals. The swinging member, which has pivotally engaging portions to engage with the engaging portions of the terminals, is positioned behind and against the contact portions of the terminals. In this electronic-part inspection device, when the swinging member is tilted in a direction that causes the pivotally engaging portions of the swinging member to move away from the counter portion of the terminal-retaining member, the swinging arm portions of the terminals, which are engaged through the engaging portions of the terminals to the pivotally engaging portions of the swinging member, undergo an elastic deformation to bring the contact portions of the terminals away from the counter portion of the terminal-retaining member. As a result, a gap is created between the contact portions and the counter portion. Into this gap, the contact terminals of an electronic part are inserted, and then the swinging member is released from the tilted condition to allow the swinging arm portions in the elastic deformation to resume the original positions. When the swinging member is released, the contact portions of the terminals and the swinging member are returned toward the counter portion of the terminal-retaining member. As a result, the contact terminals of the electronic part are sandwiched between the contact portions of the terminals and the counter portion of the terminal-retaining member.
In this electronic-part inspection device, the swinging arm portions of the terminals are engaged to the swinging member, which can be swung back and forth. Therefore, when the swinging member is tilted in the direction that causes the pivotally engaging portions of the swinging member to move away from the counter portion of the terminal-retaining member, a gap is created between the contact portions of the terminals and the counter portion of the terminal-retaining member. The contact terminals of the electronic part are placed in this gap, and then the swinging member is released from the tilted condition to let the contact portions of the terminals return toward the counter portion of the terminal-retaining member. In this way, the contact terminals of the electronic part are sandwiched between the contact portions and the counter portion, with the electronic part being electrically connected to the terminals of the inspection device. In a case of the electronic part being a chip capacitor, which is small in size, a plurality of chip capacitors are aligned at a relatively short pitch on a carrier, and the contact terminals of the chip capacitors retained on the carrier are then easily connected electrically to the terminals of the electronic-part inspection device.
Another electronic-part inspection device according to the present invention comprises a plurality of vertically extending terminals made of an electrically conductive material, a terminal-retaining member made of an electrically insulative material, which retains the terminals in a laterally extending alignment, and a swinging member made of an electrically insulative material, which also extends laterally and is connected pivotally on the terminal-retaining member so that the swinging member can be swung back and forth with respect to the terminal-retaining member. In this case, each terminal comprises a terminal base portion, a first swinging arm portion, a contact portion and a second swinging arm portion. The terminal base portion extends in the front and rear direction in the lower part of the terminal and is retained in the terminal-retaining member, and the first swinging arm portion extends upward from the upper front end of the terminal base portion and is capable of undergoing elastic deformation for swinging. The contact portion is located at the upper end of the first swinging arm portion. The second swinging arm portion extends upward from the upper rear end of the terminal base portion and is capable of undergoing elastic deformation for swinging. The terminal-retaining member comprises a terminal-retaining portion to retain the terminal base portions of the terminals, and the swinging member comprises holding portions, which are positioned behind and against the contact portions of the terminals, and a pressing portion (for example, the pressing surface 85 described in the following embodiment), which is positioned in front of and against the second swinging arm portions. In this electronic-part inspection device, when the swinging member is tilted in a direction that causes the holding portions of the swinging member to move away from the first swinging arm portions of the terminals, the second swinging arm portions of the terminals, which are pushed by the pressing portion of the swinging member, undergo an elastic deformation to bring the holding portions away from the contact portions of the terminals. As a result, a gap is created between the contact portions of the terminals and the holding portions of the swinging member. Into this gap, the contact terminals of an electronic part are inserted, and then the swinging member is released from the tilted condition to allow the second swinging arm portions in the elastic deformation to resume the original positions. In this instance, the swinging member, whose pressing portion is pushed by the second swinging arm portions toward the contact portions of the terminals, is returned toward the first swinging arm portions of the terminals. As a result, the contact terminals of the electronic part are sandwiched between the contact portions of the terminals and the holding portions of the swinging member.
In this electronic-part inspection device, each of the terminals is provided with the second swinging arm portion, which resiliently supports a corresponding holding portion of the swinging member, in addition to the first swinging arm portion, which has the contact portion to come into contact with a corresponding contact terminal of the electronic part. In this arrangement, when the swinging member is tilted, only the second swinging arm portions of the terminals undergo a deformation, and the first swinging arm portions do not experience much deformation. Therefore, the fatigue experienced by the first swinging arm portions is minimized to improve the durability of the first swinging arm portions. Because the terminal is designed to enable the second swinging arm portion to elastically deform to a substantial degree, the gap created between the contact portions and the holding portions is relatively large, making easy the insertion of the contact terminals of the electronic part. With this electronic-part inspection device, the loading work of the electronic part is made simple and easy.
In the above described electronic-part inspection device, it is preferable that the swinging member further comprise a handle portion (for example, the handle portion 71c described in the following embodiment), which extends upward from the upper end of the swinging member, and that this handle portion be used for tilting the swinging member.
In this arrangement, as the handle portion provided at the upper part of the swinging member is used for tilting the swinging member, the tilting operation of the swinging member becomes simple and easy.
Further scope of applicability of the present invention will become apparent from the detailed description given hereinafter. However, it should be understood that the detailed description and specific examples, while indicating preferred embodiments of the invention, are given by way of illustration only, since various changes and modifications within the spirit and scope of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from this detailed description.